Agenda item

The Chair introduced a report of the O&S Task & Finish Group on Contract Management.

The report of the Task & Finish Group was included at Appendix A to the report and included twelve recommendations which the Committee was asked to approve and refer to the Cabinet.

The review had looked in detail at three contracts – Gate One (Our Futures transformation programme), Matrix (interim staff) and Osborne (housing repairs).  Recommendations were set out in full in section 5 of the covering report and included:

·  Improvements right at the start of the procurement process so that contracts have very clear outcomes-based deliverables, monitoring and timelines;

·  To ensure Member engagement we propose that where authority is delegated to an officer to award a contract that it should always be in consultation with the Lead Member so there is proper democratic oversight;

·  That there be a dedicated contract manager for high value or impact contracts, which are properly risk assessed; and

·  Meaningful key performance indicators which are properly reviewed and followed up.

The Chair thanked members of the Task & Finish Group for the significant amount of time and commitment they gave to the review; all of the contributors who Members had spoken to and asked questions of during the fieldwork; and Officers who supported the task and finish group, particularly Clare Priest, the Head of Commercial Services.

The Committee welcomed the report and agreed that it was a constructive piece of work with important recommendations for the Cabinet to consider.

The Lead Member for Customer Services, Procurement & Procurement thanked the Committee for the work it had undertaken and said that the Cabinet would carefully consider the recommendations.  Lead Members highlighted the improvements that had been implemented already to strengthen contract management and said that the report would help inform the further improvements that were necessary.

At the conclusion of the discussion the Committee agreed the report of the Task & Finish Group and would refer the report and twelve recommendations to Cabinet.

Resolved –  That the Task & Finish Group report on contract management be approved and the recommendations be referred to Cabinet.